


I Don't Know What to Expecto

by yourbaeVA



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Patronus, Quidditch, Rivalry, Romance, Werewolf Keith (Voltron)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2020-05-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:21:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24030490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yourbaeVA/pseuds/yourbaeVA
Summary: When dementors abandon their posts at Azkaban, Lance, Keith, and the rest of Hogwarts are required to learn the Patronus Charm. Lance has a knack for Charms and a lot of happy memories to choose from for the spell. Keith has neither of these things. What Keith does have is a rivalry with Lance McClain. But Keith’s a Slytherin, and they’ll use ‘any means to achieve their ends’. If that means working with a dufus in a yellow and black tie, so be it.
Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 36





	I Don't Know What to Expecto

Filled with the silvery-blue light of thirty Patronuses, the Great Hall was something to behold. Keith watched as ghostly otters, cats, horses, snakes, and other animals danced above his head. It was a nice distraction from his own frustration. The sixth years had been practicing making Patronuses for nearly an hour and Keith’s wand hadn’t emitted so much as a puff of smoke.

 _Patience yields focus._ Keith reminded himself. He gritted his teeth, shoved up the sleeves of his sweater, and tried again.

“ _Expecto patronum_!” He roared. When nothing happened, Keith muttered a string of curses that would certainly have gotten him a lecture from Shiro. He fantasized about snapping his wand in half, or throwing it against a wall. Someone next to Keith chuckled.

“Woah, buddy. Calm down.” They said gamely. 

Wearily, Keith turned to face Lance McClain. The Hufflepuff was leaning back against a wall with his typical nonchalance. He was wearing a shabby sweater, an unknotted tie, and a cocky grin.

“Fuck off, Lance.” Keith snarled. Lance pouted.

“Well, that was hurtful.” 

“Good. Maybe now you’ll leave me alone.” 

Lance pushed off the wall and walked over to Keith. He was flanked by the impressive, silvery form of a lion patronus. As Lance approached him, Keith noticed more than one pair of eyes looking their way. Lance and Keith’s rivalry was legendary. Any interaction between them always drew a crowd and usually ended in a shouting match. 

“Of course your Patronus is a lion.” Keith said with an eyeroll. “For a Hufflepuff, you’re the biggest Gryffindor I’ve ever met.” 

Lance smirked. 

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” He quipped. “Gryffindors are sexy.”

“I take it all back.” Keith snapped. 

Lance just laughed. Unlike Keith, the Hufflepuff was in a good mood today. Lance’s bright, blue eyes shone in the light of his Patronus. He walked with a bounce in his step. Even the lion at his side almost seemed to be smiling. 

“Why the fuck are you so happy? Finally got a girl to actually talk to you?” Keith said meanly. Oddly, Lance didn’t take the bait. He acted like Keith had genuinely wanted to know.

“Actually, yes.” Lance bragged. “Nyma and I are going on a date to Hogsmeade this weekend.”

Keith glanced over at Nyma. She was standing with Professor Kolivan, who was correcting her stance. Keith tried to picture it: Lance McClain and the beautiful, blonde Slytherin girl in some tea-shop giving each other heart eyes. The thought made him sick.

“Yeah?” Keith said bitterly. “Well I hope it goes horribly.”

Lance’s smile died. The lion Patronus flicked it’s tail back and forth in agitation.

“God Keith,” Lance fumed. “Do you have to be such a dick all the time?” 

He ran a hand through his glossy, brown hair. Keith swallowed.

“Do _you_ have to be such a show-off?” He responded. Lance threw up his hands.

“YES! _God_ , you think you’d know that after five and a half years of school together.” Lance sounded extremely frustrated. “Being a show-off is just in my nature.”

“Yeah? Well maybe being a dick is in mine.” 

Keith had meant for the words to come out with a yell, or a snarl. He meant for them to come out any way except for how they did, which was broken and small. Keith hadn’t been able to come up with a memory happy enough to get him a Patronus. He didn’t have many happy memories, or friends. Maybe it _was_ cause he was just a dick. Maybe there was something _wrong_ with Keith. And maybe, that would never change.

“Somehow, I don’t believe that.” Lance said thoughtfully. Keith couldn’t believe it.

“Did you just say something _nice_ to me?” He gasped. Lance shrugged.

“Maybe. Don’t read too much into it, Mullet.” The Hufflepuff teased. “I say nice things to a lot of people. I’m a nice guy.”

“Sure you are.”

“I am! I’m in Hufflepuff aren’t I?!” Keith couldn’t repress his eyeroll.

“Not all Hufflepuffs are nice, Lance.”

“Well then what the hell are we?”

“Dofuses in yellow and black ties.” Keith snarked, but he was smiling. Lance gaped at him.

“So the infamous Keith Kogane _can_ smile. I guess miracles really do happen.”

Just then, Keith felt a gentle warmth brush across his midriff. He looked down to see Lance’s Patronus attempting to _nuzzle_ him. Keith had never had an intangible, blue lion try to show him affection, but the experience wasn’t entirely unpleasant. It was warm and, frankly, quite sweet. He reached his hand out to where the silky texture of a mane ought to be and stroked the air. The lion, grateful for Keith’s ministrations, began to purr. Lance watched all of this with a peculiar expression on his face.

“She….likes you.” He said slowly. Keith smiled down at the lioness.

“A she, huh?” 

“Yeah.”

_So the infamous Keith Kogane can smile. I guess miracles really do happen. She likes you._

_Yeah,_ Keith thought. _I guess they really do._

_*******_

Lance watched Keith Kogane from across the Quidditch pitch. The Mullet-headed quidditch captain was leading his team in a shooting drill. Considering their match against the Slytherins was in four days, Lance convinced himself that he was watching Keith to gain knowledge of Slytherin game tactics. In reality, Lance couldn’t get the image of Keith and Blue out of his head. Lance’s Patronus was a friendly creature, like her caster, but she wasn’t known for _rubbing against the legs of Lance’s classmates_. What was it about Keith that Blue liked so much? Lance wished he could ask her.

“Lance! Get your head in the game!” Hunk called. Only those exact words could have possibly gotten Lance’s attention. He whipped his broom around to face Hunk.

“Hunk, you beautiful genius! Was that an HSM reference?” Despite the distance between them, he could almost hear Hunk’s sigh.

“It wasn’t intended to be. Now, come on. We’ve got drills to do!”

The rest of practice went off without a hitch. The Slytherins and Hufflepuffs, forced to share the field for the day, judiciously ignored each other. Lance and Hunk took turns wearing padding and hitting bludgers back and forth. The Hufflepuff chasers and their alternates did three-on-three drills. Lance became so focused on the joy of flying that he forgot all about Keith. In fact, after an hour spent sweating with his team, Lance was almost disappointed when it was time to head in.

“Practice is over team! Let’s hit the showers.” Shay called. Lance reluctantly steered his Cleansweep 7 to the ground next to her.

“Good work today, Sharpshooter.” Shay praised. The large girl clapped Lance heartily on the shoulder. He nearly fell over. 

“I swear you’ve got the best accuracy of any beater I’ve ever seen.”

Lance recovered from his almost-tumble and grinned at his captain.

“Thanks Shay. With your leadership, Hunk’s brawn, and my dashing good looks, we’re gonna crush Slytherin.”

Hunk siddled over to sling an arm around Shay’s shoulders.

“Oh yeah, Lance? You sure you want to _crush_ Slytherin? Or do you have a crush _on_ a Slytherin?” 

Lance couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“Excuse me?!” He spluttered. Shay’s shoulders were shaking with laughter

“You heard me.” said Hunk. The beater pointed across the pitch to where the Slytherins were just landing. Keith got off his Firebolt and released his dark hair from its pony-tail, shaking it out. Lance fought down a rising blush. 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He said haltingly. Hunk patted him reassuringly on the back as he and Shay passed.

“Sure you don’t, buddy.”

“I don’t! I hate Keith!” Lance protested. Unfortunately, he had yelled a little too loudly. Several Slytherins turned to look at him. One of them was Keith. Lance’s blush deepened. 

“Is that why you were watching him for half of practice?” Hunk called out. Lance glared at his retreating back.

“No, I…. You don’t understand! My Patronus...Hunk, get back here!” Lance cried. He slung his broom over his shoulder and took off after Hunk and Shay. Lance whined at them the whole way to the Hufflepuff locker room, pausing only once to cover his face as he passed a watchful Keith Kogane. 

Thirty minutes later, Lance was stubbornly refusing to speak to Hunk. 

“Aw come on, Lance.” Hunk pleaded. “I was just joking! I’m sorry. Will you please come to dinner with us?” 

Lance, Hunk, and Shay were the only Hufflepuffs left in the locker room. Everyone else had already left for dinner. Showering hadn’t made Lance feel any less annoyed with his friend. It did, however, highlight how tired he was. The hot water had leaked all the energy from Lance and brought attention to his sore muscles. Lance closed his quidditch locker with a sigh. He just didn’t have it in him to be angry anymore. 

“Alright, alright you’re forgiven.” Lance relented. “Sheesh! Now will you stop with the puppy-dog eyes already? You know you can’t do them as well as Pidge.”

Hunk leaned back against the lockers with a sigh, obviously relieved.

“Ohhhh, thank goodness.” He moaned. “I _cannot_ have you mad at me. I’m already stressed enough with those dementors loose from Azkaban, like my stomach’s been queasy or hurting all the time and midterms are a weak away and-”

“Hunk, buddy.” Lance interjected. Seeing his friend like this, (wonderful, kind, adorable Hunk stressed to the point of tears), dissolved the last of Lance’s annoyance. 

“It’s okay. Everything’s gonna be okay. I’m sorry I got so mad. You’re right. You were just joking around. I overreacted. You know me! That’s kind of my thing.” He linked his arm through Hunk’s and steered them towards the locker room door. Shay followed behind.

“Let’s just get some food into you. I think we’d all feel better with a little food.” Hunk smiled at Lance gratefully.

“Thanks, buddy. I’m sorry again. I didn’t realize how much the joke would bother you.” 

“It’s okay.”

Lance unhooked himself from Hunk’s arm and Shay came to Hunk’s other side. The three friends walked up to the Great Hall together in companionable silence. 

At dinner, Pidge, Allura, Hunk, and Shay all joked around like usual, but Lance was uncharacteristically quiet. He had told Hunk that overreacting was his thing, which it was, but usually Lance took jokes about him and Keith in stride. He didn’t understand why Hunk’s teasing had gotten to him so badly today. _Maybe because Hunk sounded like he actually believed what he was saying._ _That I have a crush on….NO._ Lance quickly pushed the thought aside.

Eventually, Lance gave up on eating and fled the scene, feigning a desire for an early night. In reality, Lance just needed a space to be alone and think. He debated going back to his dorm room, but wasn’t sure if anyone would be in there. Lance wandered the halls of the castle absentmindedly. He passed portrait after portrait and the occasional student. Some called out a greeting. Lance responded in clipped, short sentences. For once in his life, Lance didn’t feel like talking. The Hufflepuff just kept walking, hoping he’d come across somewhere to be alone with his thoughts. 

Suddenly, Lance rounded a corner and came face to face with his favorite tapestry in the castle, Barnabas the Barmy. Lance knew where he was immediately. Somehow, his wanderings had taken him all the way up to the seventh floor, to the exact place Lance wanted to go, but hadn’t even thought to look for. It was the corridor with the Room of Requirement. Lance picked up his pace, trotting joyfully up to Barnabas, who was training his eight trolls for the ballet.

“Hey Barney!” he greeted. “Boy, am I happy to see you!” 

The aged wizard on the tapestry paused his wand waving and looked up at Lance.

“Lance my boy!” The wizard cheered. “I’m so glad you’re here! You can be a test audience for our new routine!”

Barnabas turned back to his legion of tutu wearing trolls. 

“Alright my stars, let’s show this young wizard the meaning of the word beauty!” 

The trolls just stared at him. One of them picked its nose. Lance grimaced.

“You know what Barns,” he said quickly. “I actually have somewhere to be right now, but, uh, maybe some other time?” 

Barnabas frowned disappointedly. 

“Oh all right, then. But when you come out with that other boy, I expect the both of you to watch my show!”

Lance looked over his shoulder at the stretch of wall where the Room of Requirement was, and back at Barnabas. 

“What boy?” he asked confusedly.

“Why, the boy that went in there before you! Aren’t you meeting him there?” Barnabas turned to the troll that was picking its nose.

“Willfred, honestly. Show a little more decorum! We have a guest!”

“Barnabas, please, stay with me here.” Lance pleaded, resting a hand on the tapestry. “What boy?”

Barnabas grimaced with distaste, as though the memory left a bad stench in the air. 

“I don’t know who he is, but he has a nasty scar on his face and an even more unpleasant attitude. Didn’t even stop to say hello! Just went straight into the room mumbling something about ‘a space to practice’.” 

Lance suddenly knew exactly who had gone into the Room of Requirement, and how he could get in. He just had to ask for a space to practice making a patronus. Because after the frustration he saw on Keith’s face today, that was exactly what the Slytherin was after.

“Thanks Barney.” Lance said. He gave the tapestry an affectionate pat. “When I come out, I promise to watch your dancers. I’ll make the other kid do it too.

Barnabas looked slightly mollified. He straightened up.

“See that you do.” he said haughtily. “That boy could use a lesson in tact and grace. My dancers and I would be happy to provide one.”

Just then, Willfred’s nose picking finally appeared to yield results. The troll wiped something large and disgusting on his ratty, pink tutu. Lance winced.

“Tact and grace, right.” He turned away from Barnabas and contemplated the blank wall, behind which his arch nemesis was waiting. 

_What the hell am I doing?_ Lance thought. _Keith wouldn’t want to see me. I should just leave._

But then he remembered Blue and how content she had looked curled around Keith. He remembered how upset he’d been by Hunk’s teasing. Keith Kogane had been fighting with Lance and competing with him in class since Lance arrived at Hogwarts. And yet, Lance’s best friend and even his Patronus seemed to think that there was something in Keith worth taking a second look at. Lance had to know if they were right.

 _I need a space to practice a Patronus._ Lance thought determinedly. _And….I need to see Keith._

Soundlessly, the wall in front of Lance warped. Large, swirling patterns spiralled out from the center, forming two large doors. The doors swung open, beckoning the Hufflepuff forward.

“Good luck in there!” Barnabas called. One of the trolls grunted.

“Thanks, Barns.” Lance said softly. 

He stepped into the darkness.

******

“ _Expecto Patronum_!” Keith roared. It was no use. Nothing happened. 

“Ugh!!” Keith raged, shaking his wand. “Why the fuck don’t you work?!”

He threw the wand as hard as he could against the nearest wall. Luckily, Keith had requested the walls of the room be padded for precisely this purpose. He didn’t miss the irony of it. Him, Keith Kogane, freak orphan/were-wolf kid locked in a padded room. Except, Keith wasn’t locked in. He could leave any time he wanted to. The Room of Requirement wasn’t a prison. Unless, of course, someone required it to be. 

“I don’t get it.” He said out loud, to no one in particular. “I’ve done this stupid spell fifty times, in fifty different ways and _nothing_!” 

Keith plopped down on the floor, throwing an arm over his face. He was so distracted by his own distress that not even his enhanced hearing picked up on the approaching footsteps.

“Um, Keith?”

“Ah!” Keith leapt to his feet and into a fighting stance faster than humanly possible. He froze when he saw who the intruder was.

“Lance?” he asked cautiously. “How’d you get in here?”

Lance had changed out of his quidditch robes and back into the Hogwarts uniform. His hair was still damp from a recent shower, and he was slouching more than usual, most likely from exhaustion. He was also blinking slowly, trying to adjust to the dim lighting of Keith’s practice room.

“I just um….” Lance started, then paused. “Wait, what the hell is that?” Lance had seen Keith’s wand lying on the floor. His eyes followed the wand to the padded wall above it. 

“Wow, and I thought I was a drama queen.” Lance said appreciatively. Keith flushed.

“I’m not a drama queen!”

“‘He said, _dramatically_.’”

“Whatever, Lance.” Keith grumbled. He really didn’t need Lance’s particular brand of bull shit at that moment. Keith walked to the back wall and picked up his wand. 

“So is there a reason you’re here besides making fun of me?” He asked angrily. Lance’s response was immediate.

“I’d say that’s a pretty good reason.”

“ _Lance._ ” Keith warned. The Hufflepuff held up his hands placatingly.

“Okay, okay, jeez.” He ran a hand through his hair. _Huh, he’s tense._ Thought Keith. Keith wondered when he’d started to catch on to Lance’s tells. Was it before or after their duel in fourth year? When exactly did he come to know Lance so well?

“I’m here because….Because….” 

“Yeah?” Keith prompted. Lance gulped nervously. If Keith didn’t know any better, he’d think that Lance was trying to come up with an excuse for being there. Something besides the truth. Keith’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. 

“Lance-”

“I’m here to see if you need help with your Patronus!” Lance blurted.

_Wait, what?_

“Wait, what?” Keith said aloud. 

“Yeah!” Lance said quickly. “Right, yes, that’s why I came here.”

Keith was dumbfounded. 

“Why would you want to do that?” He asked. “You hate me, remember? You said so yourself on the Quidditch pitch.”

Lance grimaced.

“Right, you heard that.”

“Yeah, I heard that.” _And it actually kind of hurt._ Keith thought. But he would never admit that outloud.

“So since you hate me so much, why would you want to help me?” Keith continued.

Lance seemed to consider that. His eyes roamed over Keith’s face carefully. Keith felt oddly vulnerable under Lance’s gaze. Lance, with his ADHD tendencies, didn’t often focus on one thing for long. So, when he did do it, it was with unrivaled intensity. 

“For the same reason we were in the Great Hall with all the other sixth years today.” Lance explained. He looked more confident with every word. 

“Yeah, that’s it.” He went on. “There are dementors loose, and we all need to be able to defend ourselves.” Lance shrugged. “After seeing you today, I figured you might want some help.”

“But, you hate me.” Keith protested weakly. Lance shook his head.

“ _Dios_ , Mullet. You’re really stuck on that.”

“Because it matters!” Keith insisted. “When you hate someone, you don’t offer to help them.”

“You do if it means they might die otherwise!” Lance argued. Keith acted as though Lance had struck him. He backed up a step, the padded wall taking his weight. Lance watched him concernedly. 

“Right?” Lance asked softly. Keith had no answer. 

“I- I, um...” Keith stuttered. 

Lance began walking towards him. He came forward slowly, as though Keith were a wounded animal he was trying not to spook. Was Keith a wounded animal? He thought of his parents, murdered in front of him. He thought of the scar on his cheek, a physical reminder of that night. He thought of his enhanced hearing and wild temper. Maybe Keith _was_ a wounded animal. And wounded animals were dangerous. But Lance didn’t seem afraid. 

“Keith,” Lance started. “Just because someone doesn’t like you, it doesn’t mean they want you _dead_.”

“I know that.” Keith said shortly. Lance was two steps away from him now. Keith could smell Lance’s shampoo.

“Do you really?” Lance asked cautiously. 

“Yeah. But just because they don’t _want_ me dead, doesn’t mean they wouldn’t _mind_ if I was dead.”

“Well,” Lance said quietly. He was practically in Keith’s face now. “Take it from someone who doesn’t like you. I would care if you were dead.”

This was by far the strangest conversation Keith had ever had with Lance, maybe even the strangest conversation he’d had _period_ . Keith’s school rival was talking about how he would care if Keith died. Lance appeared to be dancing around saying he actually _cared_ about Keith, which was absurd. All the while, Keith was pressed against a wall and they were a breath apart. If Keith tilted his head upward and forward a bit, he could probably kiss Lance. Kiss _Lance._ They were within kissing-distance! Was this normal? Did people have interactions like this with people who hated them? Keith was starting to panic. He needed to say something, anything, to get Lance away from him.

“Okay, fine then. Teach me.” He said quickly. _Wait, what?_

“Really?” Lance asked, shock all over his face. Keith was mortified.

“Yes! God! Please, just….just back up a step.”

Lance seemed to finally notice what was happening. His face darkened considerably. 

“Right, yeah. Sorry.” He backed away from Keith. Keith released a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding and relaxed his wand hand. He’d been clutching the wand in a death-grip.

“So,” Lance said cheerily, breezing past the awkwardness. “Want to get started?” 

Keith had never wanted something less. He slipped his wand in his back pocket.

“I’m sorry Lance, but honestly? I’m really tired.” 

Lance deflated a bit.

“Oh, okay. I get it.” He said.

“How about tomorrow?”

Lance stared at Keith, mouth agape. 

“Wait, you’re serious? You want to practice Patronuses with me?”

“I said I would, didn’t I?” Keith answered. 

“Yeah,” Lance said with a smile. “I guess you did.” 

The boys made a plan to meet up in the Room of Requirement during their free period the next day to work on Keith’s Patronus. Then they both walked toward the doors together. Keith was just about to ask the room to let them out, when Lance spoke.

“Oh, by the way,” Lance said casually. “We have to stop by the tapestry for a second.”

“Why?” Keith asked cautiously. Lance grinned.

“We have to watch eight trolls do ballet.”

“What?! _Lance_!”

“Room, let us out please!”

Lance ran into the hallway, Keith hot on his heels. 

“Quick, Barnabas! Start the routine! He’s here!” Lance cried out. Keith blanched.

“Wait, no-”

But it was too late. Before Keith could escape, Lance threw an arm around his shoulder and steered him towards the bizarre tapestry Keith had always tried to ignore. The Slytherin pushed Lance away, successfully freeing himself, but stayed for the performance anyway. Cocky, brazen, ridiculous Lance McClain cared about promises he made to moving portraits, and for some stupid reason, Keith liked that.

For the next half hour, Keith watched eight trolls lumber around in tutus and wondered:

_What the hell have I gotten myself into?_

  
  
  


  
  



End file.
